Caledonia resident facing exploitation of child charge

A Caledonia man has been charged with exploitation of a child after he allegedly tried to meet a 13-year-old girl at a local grocery store for sex.

Kevin Ross Smith, 30, of 2101 North Wolfe Road, was arrested by the Lowndes County Sheriff's Department in a sting operation Monday afternoon in the Piggly Wiggly parking lot in New Hope.

According to sources familiar with the investigation, Smith contacted the child on a social networking site and asked her to send him naked pictures of herself. The girl told her mother about Smith's message and her mother then contacted the sheriff's department. Investigators arranged to meet Smith under the guise of meeting for sex. The meeting was set to take place after the girl got out of school.

Smith was arrested on scene without incident and transported to the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center. He was released on a $25,000 bond. His court date is scheduled for October 22.

Sarah Fowler covered crime, education and community related events for The Dispatch.